


Every War Has Two Sides

by TheGreatCatsby



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Manipulation, FrostIron - Freeform, Frostiron Bang 2014, M/M, Manipulative sex, but xavier is based on his movie james mcavoy version, confusing i know, mutant AU, the maximoff twins are based on their comic versions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 21:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2555894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatCatsby/pseuds/TheGreatCatsby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You all know me as Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, the leading supplier of energy and new technology in the world. In the past few years I've taken my father's business out of the weapons industry and devoted my time to making sure we're developing tech that'll help people live better lives. And that's great. But I want to be honest with you all. There's something you don't know, and you should, because it's becoming a bigger issue than I thought it would be. I, Tony Stark, am a mutant.” </p>
<p>If the mutant issue was contentious before, it exploded after that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my frostiron bang this year! With lovely art by lightneverfades on Tumblr! 
> 
> So, because I'm pulling in different characters from different places I just wanted to explain where they're coming from. The story is modern day. All of the Avengers characters and Loki are based on their MCU versions. Xavier is based on his X-Men: First Class version (as is Erik but he's only mentioned.) The Maximoffs are based off their comic versions, though I've changed their origin around a bit. But they're meant to be Romani, and mutants, rather than whatever the MCU is coming up with.

It started with a speech. 

“You all know me as Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, the leading supplier of energy and new technology in the world. In the past few years I've taken my father's business out of the weapons industry and devoted my time to making sure we're developing tech that'll help people live better lives. And that's great. But I want to be honest with you all. There's something you don't know, and you should, because it's becoming a bigger issue than I thought it would be. I, Tony Stark, am a mutant.” 

If the mutant issue was contentious before, it exploded after that. 

**

“You were adopted.” 

The words seemed to run Loki through. He staggered, and he would have fallen down had his back not hit the wall. 

“What?” he breathed. 

“When you were a baby,” Odin said, “we adopted you from a war torn country. One of your parents, or both, were mutants, and we weren't sure whether you would exhibit similar traits.” 

Loki took a deep breath, forced his voice not to waver. “You hate mutants.” 

“Loki,” Odin sighed, “hate is a strong word--”

“You hate them,” Loki repeated. “Why would you take one in?” 

“The mutant traits emerge at different ages,” Odin said. “Many don't show at birth, or in childhood.” 

“You told me that they were dangerous,” Loki said. “That they would destroy human-kind. You told Frigga they were monsters.” 

“In the heat of the moment,” Odin said. “Loki, listen to me--” 

“I thought there was no chance,” Loki hissed. “I didn't think it was possible. I felt safe--”

“You are safe--”

“No longer,” Loki said. “Do you think I'll destroy you as well? Do you fear me?” He took a step forward, feeling the strange energy he was still getting used to pooling in his hands, where he could direct it forward. The possibilities...he could destroy if he wanted to. 

Odin stood his ground, his one eye fixed on Loki. “No. I do not fear you.” 

Loki didn't know what to say to that. It went against everything he knew. He snarled and directed a blast of energy at the door behind Odin. It tore off its hinges and landed in the hallway with a loud bang, the frame smoking. 

“You should,” Loki growled. “You lied.” He lurched forward on legs that felt ready to collapse and ran, so that Odin didn't have the chance to feed him more lies. 

So that Loki didn't have the chance to break down in front of him. 

He wasn't alone. There were others like him. But he'd grown up knowing they were monsters. 

And now he was one of them. 

And he wanted nothing more than to be something else. 

**

“I have not seen my brother in several years,” Thor said, “but he is one of your kind.” 

“Really,” Tony said. He looked up from Thor's resume made up entirely of work in the family business and observed the man himself. Thor could charm the pants off anything without much effort. He was tall, blond, and muscular, with a grin that could melt a glacier and eyes the color of the ocean. He would've been on Tony's list of “Men I'd Go Gay For” if he wasn't already bi. 

“I want to help,” Thor continued, “make life better for those of you who find yourselves persecuted.” 

“This wouldn't have anything to do with guilt, would it?” Tony asked. Thor's family worked in the weapons business, much like Tony's had, but the head of the business, Odin, was still alive, unlike Tony's father. And unlike Stark Industries, Odin's business hadn't stopped making weapons. They'd expanded. 

And their newer killing machines were geared towards mutants. 

It wasn't a secret that Thor and his father disagreed over a lot of things. It was all over the tabloids when Thor walked out. That didn't mean Tony was ready to believe that a man raised by mutant-haters wanted to help them, wanted to accept a pay cut and a job heading the treasury department (which was boring as hell) in the name of kindness. Tony knew a lot about people trying to use him, and he wasn't going to be taken in by a charming smile. 

Thor gave him a look that screamed guilt. “Perhaps,” he said, “I want to atone for the sins of my father.”

“And a lot of sins he has,” Tony said. “So how am I supposed to believe that your brother's a mutant if Odin hates them? Is this some breaking story the tabloids forgot to cover? Because that'd be really bad for business. So bad it sounds like bullshit.” 

“It's not a lie,” Thor said. “Loki has never been trained the way I was to become heir to the family company. He went into academics, studying physics. He doesn't know much of business. A few years ago he became more distant. You must understand—we shared everything. Yes, we fought at times, and Loki gave me mischief, and we were different, and Loki often claimed that he was forced into obscurity by being in my shadow, but...And then I found out why Loki had been pushing me away. It was after he ran, and father has kept this quiet.” 

Tony could believe that. As the youngest son, Loki had been kept out of the spotlight. Since Thor was meant to take over the family business, he got the most attention. In fact, Tony remembered being surprised by learning that Thor had a younger brother when he saw a family photo in one of the tabloids. Because Loki really had been kept in the shadows. 

“Loki was adopted when he was a child,” Thor continued, “and I was so young I didn't remember this. So we grew up thinking that we were brothers in blood. Not that Loki isn't my brother simply because he was adopted. Blood is not the only thing that ties a family together. But Loki's powers started to develop, and when he confronted father he learned of his true nature. And he ran. I'm afraid he probably didn't feel safe among our family, and I don't blame him.” 

“Neither do I,” Tony muttered. Had he been in the same situation, he would've been shitting bricks. “What's Loki's power?” 

Thor shook his head. “I never found out and father wouldn't tell me.” 

“Fantastic,” Tony said. “And where is he now?”

Again, Thor shook his head. “I hope he's found comfort.” He took a deep breath. “I want to be plain with you, Stark, because I know you find it hard to trust me. I do have an ulterior motive for seeking work with you. I hope that if Loki knows of the choice I've made, then he'll trust me enough to come back. And I can repair our relationship.” 

Tony didn't want to believe Thor, because people weren't that good. He'd learned that the hard way several times from people who were supposed to be close to him. But something in Thor's tone struck a chord with him. It was very hard not to believe Thor. 

“Fine,” Tony said. “You have the job.” 

Thor smiled and leaned forward, extending a hand. “I look forward to working with you.” 

Tony made sure to squeeze the offered hand, hard. “Make sure I don't regret it.” 

**  
Nestled amongst mansions about half an hour's drive from New York City was the first, and one of the few, schools for mutants in the world. Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Schools such as this had been popping up when the movement for openness about mutations had started. These were places where young mutants could be amongst others who understood their struggles and experiences, and where they could learn about their kind and their powers. 

Loki stood outside the gates. The mansion was practically empty; it was a Saturday, and a lot of students went into town. Which was perfect. Loki couldn't take a school full of mutants. 

But he could take on one or two very easily. 

He made his way to the front doors, careful to make sure that he wasn't seen. It was night, and his dark clothing cloaked him in the shadows. Once he reached the door he charmed the lock open and slipped inside. 

The entrance to the school was suitably impressive. A large staircase split in front of Loki, leading to the second floor. There were two rooms on either side of the door. Loki crept forward and stopped at the foot of the stairs, closing his eyes. 

He reached out with his magic, trying to sense the different energies present in the mansion. He could sense someone on the second floor, but they seemed to be asleep. As he reached out further, he caught a larger amount of energy. It felt like many people, but blurred somehow. And all of these energies seemed to be focused on one, brighter source. 

Loki opened his eyes and darted up the stairs. He moved through the house silently, not wanting to wake up the sole occupant of the second floor, whose energy had indicated a strength that Loki wanted to avoid if at all possible. 

Charles Xavier's office was closed, and Loki moved past it without stopping. Xavier wasn't there. He stopped in front of a set of steel doors. The energy coming through them was almost palpable. 

With a flick of his wrist, Loki forced the doors open with his magic, and then stepped inside. 

The hallway behind the door looked different to anything else in the mansion. Whereas the main of Xavier's school was classically decorated, this hallway looked completely modern, with bright lights and steel walls. It screamed futuristic. 

Loki felt slightly ill as he moved forward, towards another set of steel doors with an X inlaid into their surface. He knew Xavier was powerful, and was one of the leading mutants in the world. And his power...Loki didn't want to be subjected to his power. He had enough trouble keeping himself from delving too far into his own head. To have someone else dig around...he shuddered just thinking about it. 

Still, he opened the doors in front of him, and stepped into the space beyond. 

Cerebro was a legend, the sort of technology that left both mutants and humans alike in awe and also in fear of what it was capable of. It augmented Xavier's powers, allowing him to see into the minds of anyone, anywhere. 

Loki actually stopped in his tracks. He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but what he saw before him was just as impressive as the rumors suggested. 

Cerebro was a huge sphere of a room, with a platform extending to the center. At the platform's end, Charles Xavier sat, a strange device atop his head, surrounded by controls. The walls of the sphere were filled with images incomprehensible to Loki, and he only got to see them for a minute before they disappeared, leaving behind a blank surface. 

Then Xavier turned to him, removing the device from his hair, and said, “Impressive, isn't it?” 

Loki's mouth went dry. Xavier was younger than he'd imagined, not much older than Thor. And yet this man was one of the leading mutants in the world. He looked almost friendly, with a round face and sparkling blue eyes. And too late Loki realized he was moving forward in his wheelchair. He raised his hands, a spell at the ready. 

“Stop,” he said. 

Xavier stopped. “I don't believe we've met before,” he said in a crisp English accent. Much like Loki's. 

“We haven't,” Loki forced himself to say. “But I know you. You are the one trying to prevent mutant-kind from registering themselves with the government. You believe that mutants are the next step for humanity.” 

“I do,” Xavier said. 

“They are monsters,” Loki growled. 

“We haven't met,” Xavier said, voice growing suddenly colder, “but I know of you. Don't think your activities have gone unnoticed. You are the mutant responsible for the murders of several others. At first I thought you might be a plant hired by the government to infiltrate our community and take out the most powerful in order to help eliminate us. I wondered how much they paid you to make you betray your own kind. But it seems I was wrong.” 

“You,” Loki said, “are not my kind.” 

Xavier slowly raised a hand and pressed a finger to his temple, gazing at Loki intently. Suddenly, Loki saw several things flash through his thoughts, there and gone in an instant. “You were raised to hate mutants,” Xavier said, “and then you found out you were one yourself. And now you're trying to come to terms with being a monster by destroying other monsters and telling yourself that you're doing the right thing. And perhaps, humanity will accept you again. But you will never be human, and that haunts you.” 

“Get out of my head!” Loki snarled. A knife materialized in his hand and he threw it—or he thought he did. The knife clattered to the ground. 

Loki's heart started beating faster. He rarely missed. He tried to conjure another knife but his magic wouldn't obey him. And neither would his body. He tried to yell, to scream, to say anything, but he was unable to move at all. 

“I'm terribly sorry,” Xavier said, moving closer to him. Every muscle in Loki's body tried to make him run, but he couldn't. Instead he fell to his knees. “I want to help you. But in order to do that, I need to make sure you can't kill me.” He was close, too close, and he was reaching out. 

Two cool fingers touched Loki's temple, and Xavier's voice muttered, “Sleep” and Loki sank into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

“I know it's necessary but that doesn't mean I like using this stuff. It creeps me out.” 

“Sir, your guest is waking.”

“Oh, thanks Jarv.” 

Loki sucked in a breath, suddenly keenly aware of his body. He didn't know where he was, who the voices were. He remembered not being able to move. But now he could. He moved his arm up to his face, covering his eyes. He was in control again. 

Good. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes and then moved his arm away from his face. He was on a cot, and the lights were bright enough to make his head ache. A shadow in the corner of the room moved, and came into focus as it kneeled beside the cot. 

It was Tony Stark. 

Stark was another prominent mutant working to make the world better for his kind. Loki's heart sped up again, even though Stark didn't have Xavier's power. Stark's power was of less immediate danger—he was described as having an influence over technology—but that didn't mean he wasn't a threat. 

It was then that Loki noticed the glass behind Stark. He tried to reach out with his magic only to find it wasn't there. 

“I'm sorry,” Stark said. “I couldn't have you using your powers to kill me or anything.” 

“What?” Loki choked. 

“I fitted you with a pair of cuffs,” Stark said. “Just so we could talk without you committing murder. That sort of thing kinda gets in the way.” 

Loki looked down and noticed that a silver band encircled each of his wrists. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him, followed by a more consuming wave of rage. He moved, lurching off the cot and slamming into Stark, forcing him onto the floor. He pinned Stark's shoulders, breathing heavily, trying to ward off the dizziness the action caused. 

“Take them off,” he snarled. 

“No,” Stark said. He had the audacity to look amused. “Sorry, but I'm not about to set a murderer free in my tower. That's not how I roll.” 

“Then I'll kill you,” Loki said. 

“Kill me and those never come off,” Stark said, grinning up at him. “I'm fine either way.” 

Loki glared at him. He wanted to choke Stark, but if he did, others in the building would likely find him and kill him. And without his magic, Loki's chances of escape were incredibly thin. 

“Why am I here?” he asked. “If I am your enemy, why take me into your home?” 

“Charles asked me to,” Stark said. “He thinks that because you're like us, you can be redeemed.” 

“I'm not like you,” Loki hissed. 

“Whatever you say,” Stark muttered. “Much as I like this conversation, I'd rather continue it not on the floor, if you don't mind.” 

Loki forced himself to get off Stark and get back on the cot. Stark dusted himself off, still infuriatingly calm, and then picked himself up off the ground and placed himself on the edge of the cot, too close for comfort. Loki wanted to move, but he didn't. He didn't want to cede any more ground to Stark than he already had. 

“According to Charles,” Stark said, “you have some major issues. Like being told to hate mutants before you knew you were one. And then killing mutants in order to be accepted by the humans. Now, I know your dad. He's the biggest dick in the universe, so I don't know why you'd want his approval. He wants to kill a lot of people just because they're a threat to his influence on the world. But, you know, fathers can really get under your skin. And I'm good at getting under the skin, too, so I guess that's why Charles sent you to me. Also because I'm one of the few people in the world with the tech to contain someone with your abilities.” 

Loki stared at him. “You want to fix me?” 

“Charles wants to fix you,” Stark corrected. “I want to make sure I'm not gonna get killed in my sleep.” 

Loki forced himself to laugh. “I assure you, I don't need fixing. I know what monsters your kind are.” 

“Your kind,” Stark said. “Or did you forget about the powers those pretty bracelets on your wrist are restraining?” 

“I've chosen my side,” Loki said. 

“I know,” Stark said. “But people change their minds. And you're powerful. Like, really powerful. Do you think the humans would really accept someone with that much power?” 

“I give them an advantage,” Loki said. 

“You give them something to use,” Stark countered, “and for all the wrong reasons. They'd treat you like a weapon. And you're not. You're a person. We all are. We're not meant to be used.” 

“You are all weapons,” Loki snapped. “Weapons to be used to kill those weaker than yourselves, for no reason other than that you can.” 

“There are very few mutants like that,” Stark said. Sadness passed, briefly, over his face. “You could say the humans are killing us for no reason other than fear. It's just as bad.” 

“They should be afraid of monsters,” Loki said. 

Stark sighed and stood up. “I'm gonna leave before I punch you in the face. But this will be continued. Have fun.” And then he left through a door in the wall, passed by the glass fronting the cell, and disappeared. 

“Mr. Stark would like to remind you that this cell is made of steel and reinforced, bulletproof and everything-proof glass,” a crisp voice said from the ceiling. Loki glanced up, but saw nothing. “If you try to escape, everything in this tower will kick your ass. His words, not mine.” A pause. “If you need anything, my name is Jarvis. I am Mr. Stark's artificial intelligence system.” 

Loki didn't know what to say to that. He'd never heard of such a thing before. And this...computer...sounded almost human. 

Jarvis didn't speak again, and Loki sat with his back to the wall, staring out of the glass at the empty room beyond. He played with the silver cuffs on his wrists, digging his nails into the skin underneath, just to feel, for a few brief moments, like he wasn't wearing them. 

It didn't work. He felt like he was suffocating. 

**

“So.” Stark stepped into Loki's view, with his hands folded behind his back and a smile on his face. He didn't intend to give any weakness away. “You've made quite the name for yourself.” 

“Have I?” Loki asked, tilting his head to the side. “I wasn't aware.” 

“You're credited with dozens of mutant kills in the past few years,” Stark said. “You attempted to assassinate one of the most recognized names in the community.” 

“Xavier,” Loki said. 

“Lehnsherr,” Stark corrected. Loki straightened. Lehnsherr had been a failure only because he'd been surrounded by other powerful mutants, including one who could disguise herself as anyone. She wouldn't have been able to hide from Loki's magic, but he hadn't been looking. An oversight on his part. 

“I haven't forgotten him,” he said. 

“You've pissed a lot of people off,” Stark said, moving closer to the glass. “People who just want peace.” 

“Like you?” Loki asked. 

“A better life for mutant kind,” Stark continued. 

“Is that why you have the technology to bring mutants to their knees?” Loki asked. “To contain them? To de-power them? To kill them, if necessary?” 

Stark's face closed off and he stiffened. He clearly didn't like talking about that side of Stark Industries, which is why Loki pressed. 

“Oh,” he breathed. “You stand there condemning me for harming mutants when you would do the same. The difference is, they trust you. You are a snake hidden among the grass. At least they know what I am.” 

“You don't know what you're talking about,” Stark said. “It's not like you actually want to learn anything about the mutant world. Even though you're part of it.” 

Loki wanted to deny that, but he knew it would give Stark more fuel. So instead he asked, “Then why do you have this technology?” 

“We're not here to talk about me,” Stark sing-songed, but there was an edge to the words. 

Loki smirked. He liked finding the edge and throwing himself and everyone else around him over it. “Why do you have it?” 

“My father,” Stark said, clipped. “He wasn't a mutant. He wanted to protect the family.” 

“So you didn't destroy it when the business came into your hands?” Loki asked. 

Stark looked away. 

“Perhaps you feel you need protection as well,” Loki continued. “To hide behind your technology, to preach about peace but only when it's convenient. You want to make the world a better place, but for whom, exactly?” 

“Everyone,” Stark snapped. “I don't know why the Prof gave you to me. You're hopeless.” 

“Does this make you uncomfortable?” Loki asked, holding up his cuffed wrists. Stark didn't flinch, but it was a near thing. 

“Enemies come from everywhere,” Stark said, weakly. 

“And your powers are nothing without technology,” Loki said. “You must build to use your mutation. You cannot simply draw on anything. Do you know that part of my power is unraveling?” 

“Your mutation,” Stark said, “is chaos magic. And we're done here.” He turned, ready to walk away. 

“Because we're discussing your faults and not mine?” Loki asked. 

Stark whirled around and jabbed a finger at the glass. “I know you. You won't admit what's wrong with you even when it's staring you in the face. You're all sorts of fucked up and you don't have the decency to keep it to yourself. Instead you go out there and hurt a bunch of other people just so you might be able to avoid your own shit. But you can't. And you're too weak to try to face it head on. Also, everyone hates you.” 

A cold thread of anger unspooled itself in Loki's chest, pulling him up off the cot and into a standing position. “I will break your precious technology,” he hissed, “and when I'm done, I will break you and burn this place to the ground.” 

“Try it. My tech is flawless.” Stark dropped his hand, turned, and left the room. 

Loki walked up to the glass, pressing his palms against it, trying to feel for any sort of weakness. But his magic didn't answer. 

He only felt cold. 

**

Stark didn't visit that night or the next day, or the day after. It was only on the day after that when Loki, who had spent the past few days running through various plans in his head, heard a door opening and the sound of footsteps closing in on the glass barrier. 

Which was followed shortly after by a closer door opening, and closing. He looked up to find Stark standing in the middle of the cell, wearing nothing but torn up jeans and a dirty tank top, stained with grease and hair a mess. 

“You should bathe,” Loki told him, sitting up. 

“I don't have time,” Stark said. Everything about him seemed distracted. “I need your help, actually.” 

“My help?” Loki repeated. 

“Jarvis says it's a bad idea--”

“It is, sir,” Jarvis intoned. 

Stark waved a hand at the ceiling. “But I don't actually know any experts in magical mutations. Or mutations that cause magic. Except you.” 

“Why should I help you?” Loki asked. “You've kept me locked in this cell for days with no one but a robot for company, and I want nothing to do with your kind.” 

“Oh, come on,” Stark said. “I've seen how much you use your powers. Whatever you call yourself, you're at least interested in how magic works, right?” 

Loki pulled in a breath. He was fascinated by magic, by his particular...mutation. It could unravel things and put them together. He was still discovering what he could do with his abilities, and he hated every new discovery he made. He hated how good it felt, to learn of yet another way in which he could hold influence over his environment. He was good at channeling his energy, but he still wasn't perfect. The magic, in his more emotional moments, could consume him. And he'd never talked to anyone else about it because he hadn't wanted to associate himself with them. 

But analyzing someone else was different. He would be at a distance. And it would get him out of this cell. So far, he hadn't managed to find any weaknesses in Stark's prison, save for Stark himself. 

“I have never met another magic user,” Loki admitted, finally. 

“Yeah, it's not a common mutation,” Stark said. He seemed determine to use the word mutation as often as possible. It was working well to get on Loki's nerves. 

“Then show me,” Loki said, “and perhaps I can tell you something.” 

Stark gestured for him to stand up. Loki did. 

“If you try anything,” Stark said, “there's at least fifty mutants in the building with the ability to stop you, and two hundred humans willing to pitch in. Jarvis can also lock down the tower and deliver a mean electric shock when he'd pissed off.” 

“I'll keep that in mind,” Loki said. 

Stark nodded warily, and together they left the cell.


	3. Chapter 3

Stark Tower was huge. Loki found out that he'd been kept underground, and that the labs were located in the top levels of the building. The one Stark took him to had floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and floor-to-ceiling computers on the other. 

“We caught footage of this woman a few days ago,” Stark said. “Take a look and tell me what you can.” He pressed a button and one of the screens turned on, showing footage from a security camera. 

The footage was grainy and it was hard to see details, even on the large screen. Loki did his best to concentrate. In the footage, a young woman had been grabbed by a police officer. She thrust out her hand and the officer fell. Her hand seemed to be glowing with some kind of energy. Then she made another gesture and Loki saw two people behind the door of the nearest building start banging on the glass. 

The officer started to rise and she made yet another gesture. He collapsed again, and she ran, and the footage cut out. 

“It's not like your magic,” Stark said. “At least from what I've seen, your magic does different things. Harsher things.” 

“She works it differently,” Loki muttered. “Play it again.” Stark did so, and Loki found himself leaning far forward, absorbed in watching the tiny gestures, the woman's face, or what he could see of it, the results of her work. 

“Well?” Stark asked. He was leaning very close. If Loki moved back just a few inches, they'd be touching. 

“Well,” Loki said, “she doesn't work her magic like I do. I've heard of different types of magic users.” 

“You did research?” Stark asked. He sounded surprised. 

“A little,” Loki admitted. “It could be hexes. Or...probability magics.” He turned to Stark. “What do you mean to do with her?” 

Stark frowned. “Nothing. I just want to find her and talk to her.” 

“You want to study her,” Loki said. “I can see it in your eyes. The fascination. You don't understand it. You want to take her apart.” 

“I'm a scientist,” Stark said. He shifted. “But I'm not gonna do that. I'm not that kind of scientist.” 

“Then what kind of scientist are you?” Loki asked. He felt a pang of annoyance. Stark was parrying his blows too easily. 

“The kind,” Stark said, “that finds people and helps them understand. The kind who offers them a life among others who know what it's like.” 

“In the prison you call a tower,” Loki said. 

“That's not how it works,” Stark said. Loki raised an eyebrow and he added, “Except for you, because you keep trying to kill people. And I know nothing I say is gonna break through years of conditioning and whatever else is going through your fucked up head. But, I'm giving you a chance here. Not because I want to, but because it's the right thing to do.” 

“You're a saint,” Loki said, rolling his eyes. 

“Anything but,” Stark muttered. “I just owe Xavier. And I don't like being in debt. So here's the thing. You help me talk to her,” he jabbed a finger at the camera, “and I'll reconsider that keeping you in a cell thing.” 

“How kind,” Loki said. Stark simply smiled at him expectantly. “How do you propose we find this mutant of yours?” 

Stark's smile slipped away and he turned towards his computer, typing in various commands. “I have a program that can track energy spikes.” 

The idea of such technology made Loki's skin crawl. It was like Xavier being able to find mutants by looking into the minds of everyone on the planet. “You and Xavier are not so different from your enemies,” he said. 

“They made us this way,” Stark said. 

“Did they?” 

Stark didn't answer, and Loki didn't press. He felt he'd made himself clear. 

**

The signal Stark picked up took them to a village in Eastern Europe. Stark had a private jet furnished with plush seats and the best food and liquor on offer. The flight, as a result, was quite relaxing, even though Loki didn't want to relax. His powers were still bound, and they were surrounded by three burly guards. 

And Stark had his suit with him. The metal suit he was most famous for, the one that he wore on missions to save people. Those very same people began to call him Iron Man. 

He wasn't wearing the suit, but it was tucked into a silver briefcase that he carried with him when they left the plane and got into a nondescript black vehicle. And he took it with him when the car stopped and deposited them in a small village nestled amongst snow-capped mountains. 

Loki eyed the briefcase warily. That suit could destroy him. It could destroy the humans. It seemed the mutants had the upper hand, and more and more Loki wasn't liking what he saw of the people who were supposed to be his people. 

“This way,” Stark said, holding a portable device that read energy the same way his computer did back in the tower. Loki followed him through the village. People milled about, ignoring them for the most part. Only the children seemed to take any interest, looking at Stark and Loki with wide eyes. 

Their search led them to a small cottage just off the main stretch of road. Stark knocked on the door three times, then listened. After a moment he sighed and took out a small device that resembled a keychain. He attached it to the doorknob, and Loki watched, eyes widening, as the device opened up like a flower and swallowed the doorknob whole. A second later the door swung open, and Stark took the device and made a gesture for Loki to go inside. 

“How polite,” Loki said, and stepped through the door. 

The room beyond was dark enough that Loki couldn't actually see anything. He took another careful step forward, feeling Stark move in behind him. Something brushed his hair and he started, but Stark murmured, “It's only my gun. I'm covering you.” 

“That makes me feel better,” Loki hissed. He wanted to take the gun and smash it over Stark's head. 

Another step forward, and then something slammed into Loki and he fell. A bang reverberated throughout the cottage, and the lights switched on. 

Stark had his gun pointed at a woman standing on the opposite side of the room. In front of her, like a human shield, stood a man. Loki picked himself off the floor, slowly, and the man's eyes followed him. 

“I have three men with guns outside,” Stark said, “but I hope that's not necessary. I just came to talk.” 

“With weapons?” the man asked. 

“No,” Stark said. “These are just a precaution.” 

Loki recognized the woman from the video. She had curly hair, brown, dark eyes, and was wearing a red dress. The man standing in front of her had shockingly white hair, but he looked the same age as the woman, young, and wore a green sweater and jeans. And despite their differences, there was something similar about them. 

“What is your magic?” Loki asked. 

The woman looked up at him, surprised. “What do you know of my magic?” 

“I've seen it,” Loki said. 

“Look,” Stark interrupted, “this is great and all, but you're still looking at me like you want to kill me. I'm here to help. I'm--”

“I know who you are,” the young man said. “You're the most well-known mutant in the world, and yet you have plenty of technology that can take your fellow mutants down if the need arises. Forgive me if I don't trust you.” 

“Forgiven,” Stark said, “but you should, because I genuinely am trying to help.” 

“Or you're playing into the hands of the humans,” the man said. “Why is your friend here bound?” 

“He tried to kill someone,” Stark said. “It's not because he's a mutant.” 

“Admittedly, this looks bad,” Loki said with a smirk. 

“Shut up,” Stark said. 

“I'm his prisoner,” Loki continued. “I have magic, like you.” He gestured to the woman. “My name is Loki.” 

“And he's the top assassin of mutants in the world,” Stark pointed out. 

“Your power is like mine?” the woman asked. “Can you control it?” 

“I want to help you,” Stark repeated, almost desperately. “He'd just as soon kill you.” 

“And then Stark would kill me,” Loki said. He could see the compassion in the woman's eyes directed towards him, and the suspicion in the man's eyes towards Stark. He pressed, “I am at his mercy while my powers are bound. He wanted to use me to understand your magic. I don't know for what purpose.” 

“You know exactly why because I explained it to you,” Stark snapped. To the woman he said, “I want to help you understand. That's all.” 

“You bound him,” the woman said. 

“How do I know you won't do the same to her?” the man asked. 

“Because,” Stark said, looking ready to start pulling his hair out, “I care about--” 

An explosion threw Loki off his feet and sent him into the nearest wall. He slid to the floor, momentarily so shocked that he was unable to breathe. Then his lungs kick-started the process for him and he gasped, but the gasping turned into choking as he inhaled smoke. Everything ached, and something grabbed his arm, and he tried to twist away. Instinctively, he raised his free hand towards whatever was pulling him, but of course when he called for his powers they didn't answer. 

Then something bit into his neck, a sudden sharp pain that made him cry out. He could feel something coursing through his veins, and his limbs growing heavy. And then his eyes slid shut...

**

“Where'd that manipulative little shit go?” Tony shouted between gasps for air. The cottage was in flames, and the two people he'd come to talk to in the first place were watching it burn in horror. But Loki was nowhere to be found. 

The three guards Tony had employed to watch over them were all lying dead in the street, with bullet wounds to their heads. 

That made sense, because after the explosion had disoriented all of them, Tony had felt someone trying to grab him. At first he'd thought it was Loki, but when he fought them off he realized that this person had larger muscles and a beard (that from backhanding them across the face.) 

The other two seemed to have experienced the same thing, but once they all managed to escape there was no sign of anyone else running away. At least, none that they could see. 

The wail of a siren broke Tony out of his reverie. He turned and watched as a firetruck pulled up and several firefighters jumped out. They sprayed the cottage with water and the fire eventually stopped burning. One of the men went to talk to the other two, and Tony took the opportunity to check out the smoldering building. 

The place smelled horrible, acrid. He stepped inside, despite the water dripping everywhere and steam and smoke still filling the air. 

There was nothing. No charred bodies on the floor. No charred alive people on the floor. Tony made his way towards the back and saw one broken window. 

Either Loki had escaped, or he'd been taken by the people who'd tried to kill them all. 

Or, those people had tried to take them all, but Loki, with his powers bound, was the only one who couldn't escape. 

That last one made the most sense in Tony's mind. Because Loki hadn't had an escape plan beyond manipulating the other two in the room to fight Tony. 

The question was, who'd attacked them?

Tony stepped back outside to see the other two watching him carefully. “Any idea what that was?” he asked. “Because I have no clue and I want some answers.” 

“People have been following us,” the woman said after a look at the man beside her. “It's because of our powers. We've tried to make ourselves scarce, but you found us. And they must have followed you.” 

“Who are they?” Tony asked. 

“They mean us harm,” the man said. “They tried to attack us one night while we slept, to take us. They had no powers, only the technology to hurt us. Technology they could have gotten from you.” 

Tony met the young man's hard glare with one of his own. “I keep that kind of tech to myself,” he said, “for my own personal protection. For when people try to kill me. I wouldn't use it on innocent people. I'm on your side. If you want safety, you should trust me. I can help. First, you can start by telling me your names.” 

The two exchanged a look, and finally the woman said, “My name is Wanda, and this is my twin brother, Pietro.” 

Tony inclined his head. “Nice to meet you. Next, you can come with me. I can keep you safe. And then, you can tell me everything you know about these people so I can find them, destroy them, and hopefully get Loki back in the process.” 

“I thought you said Loki tried to kill you,” Pietro said, eyes narrowing. 

“He did,” Tony said. “But I'm not that much of a dick. If someone's capturing and trying to kill mutants, I'm not just gonna let them get away with it. Besides, I was trusted with Loki by a friend who thinks Loki can change. And he'll be pissed off if I don't try to get him back in one piece.” 

Wanda looked at her brother and murmured, “We should go with him. We've been looking for a community to be a part of, and he's one of us.” 

Pietro sighed. “I wonder sometimes if you're too trusting.” 

Wanda smiled at Tony. “That's his version of yes. We'll come.” 

“Great.” Tony clapped his hands together and glanced up the road, where a bunch of people had gathered to stare at the burnt down cottage. “I hope I still have my car.”


	4. Chapter 4

As it turned out, Tony hadn't needed Loki to analyze Wanda's powers. She knew what they were, even if she found them hard to control. She called it probability magic. 

“If we hadn't been interrupted,” she said, “I could have hexed Loki's cuffs so that the probability of them working was less. He could've escaped.” 

“That's...a bit scary,” Tony said, but he admired the skill. He admired anything that could best his technology, because he saw it as a challenge. 

So he hadn't needed Loki, but that didn't mean he thought Loki would've been useless in this situation. He and Wanda could've helped each other understand the scope of their powers so much more, and how to control them, since they both mentioned having issues with control when overemotional. Right now, Wanda only had Pietro, who's power was completely different: super speed. He was a supportive brother, but he couldn't help her with her magic. 

Even Charles Xavier couldn't understand it fully. He was a great teacher, but Wanda needed someone to relate to as much as to learn from. 

And, Tony had to admit, he really wanted to study the differences between Wanda's probability magic and Loki's chaos magic. Very few mutants had the mutation for magical abilities, and to Tony it was fascinating. 

He managed to tear himself away from talking about Wanda's mutation long enough to ask the twins about the people who'd been chasing them. He was glad he did, because he learned a few things: the organization wore uniforms with a logo that resembled an octopus, they spoke German, and they had mutant-neutralizing technology. To Tony, that meant that they had studied mutants and had scientists smart enough to build the tech they used to capture them. Those scientists probably analyzed the organization's prisoners and developed new weapons. And, very likely, they were human. 

But who were they associated with?

They were based in Germany, or at least Tony thought they were, but that didn't mean they were associated with Germany's government. Germany had proven to be more open to mutants living normal lives among humans than the United States, possibly because the European Union had taken a liberal stance overall on mutants. 

If Tony could bring these guys down while rescuing Loki, well...that was an added bonus. 

**

“So,” Pietro pointed at a spot on a map in the middle of a forest. “You think that the Hydra facility is there. And that this is where they're holding your friend.” 

“Yeah,” Tony said. He was distracted, and not just because they were on a plane heading towards a facility full of people who hated mutants. 

That morning, Thor had come into his office to thank Tony, to talk about how much he enjoyed his job and how he was grateful for this opportunity. 

And then Tony, despite knowing Thor and why Thor was really working for his company, very much didn't tell him about Loki. 

Maybe it was because Loki and Thor were so different; while Loki was in his custody, Tony actually forgot he was Thor's brother. Seeing Thor brought it all back. Loki wasn't just a mutant murderer with a self-hatred complex. Well, he was, but he also had a family. A very real family that was very really in Stark Tower at this very moment. 

Perhaps, though, it was better for Thor not to know anything about Loki's whereabouts. Loki was well known in the mutant community for all the wrong reasons, but outside of it...he almost went unnoticed. Most humans didn't care if the mutants were turning on each other. Too many humans didn't even care that mutants were dying. 

That, and now that Loki was in hostile territory, perhaps it was best to wait to tell Thor anything until they knew that Loki was actually alive, and in one piece. 

Tony had his doubts. It had taken him three weeks to track down the facility, figure out the organization behind it all, and make his plans. Half the time he wondered why he was doing this for a guy who wanted to kill him. The other half knew exactly why, and it had nothing to do with his being a good person. 

Loki intrigued him. His magic and, frankly, him. And Tony couldn't just let someone like that get away. He especially couldn't let someone like that get lost to his enemies. 

“Are you okay?” Wanda asked, forcing Tony back to the present. 

“Yeah,” he said. “Just nervous. Who wouldn't be?” 

“You have a point,” Pietro said. “I don't know why we agreed to help you rescue this...murderer.” 

“Because it's the right thing to do,” Wanda said, laying a hand on his arm. Pietro merely sighed and shook his head. 

Tony was relieved that they were there, however reluctantly on Pietro's part. He wasn't much of a fighter; he always relied on his tech. Having two people with strong powers fighting alongside him would be comforting. 

Not that he wanted to fight, exactly. Ideally, he'd extract Loki, plant a few bombs, get out virtually unnoticed, and then blow the whole place to pieces. 

“This is your captain speaking,” came a cool female voice over the intercom. “We will shortly be arriving at the drop zone. Please prepare for departure.” 

“She makes it sound so nice,” Pietro said, pulling on his gear, “like we aren't jumping out of a plane to our potential deaths.” 

“Ever the optimist,” Wanda said, rolling her eyes. 

Tony, who had his Iron Man suit instead of gear, pulled his briefcase out from under the nearest seat and keyed in a code. The briefcase unfolded, enveloping Tony in a comforting metal shell. 

“Entering the drop zone,” the captain said. “Doors opening.” With a metallic groan, the doors slid open.

“I just want to say ahead of time,” Tony shouted over the wind, “that you two are the best.” 

“Would you be saying this if we weren't jumping out of a plane?” Wanda asked. 

Tony merely grinned, then turned towards the gaping opening and sprinted towards the sky until he was falling. 

He could see Wanda and Pietro above him, and the green forest below. There was a clearing that they were aiming for, and not too far beyond that, a low grey building that was meant to be the facility. 

He activated his rockets at the same time as Pietro and Wanda deployed their parachutes, and within a few seconds was on the ground, watching them land in a whisper of parachute fabric. They shed what they didn't need. Wanda, in particular, looked nervous as she faced the facility. 

Tony knew why, too. She was their best bet at getting out in one piece. And she wasn't exactly confident in her methods, even if Tony and Pietro had helped her as best they could over the past weeks to learn control. 

Now, he gestured for the twins to follow him through the trees to the facility. They made sure not to make any noise, and when they reached the edge of the forest they crouched in the bushes. 

Tony took out a small device that resembled a cellphone and keyed in a few numbers. “Jamming camera signals,” he murmured. He wasn't used to working with other people, but he assumed that they'd at least want to know what he was doing. 

He left the device hidden underneath some leaves and aimed his repulsers at the two guards standing at the entrance. But before he could shoot, Pietro disappeared in a gust of wind. Before either Tony or Wanda could react, the two guards were on the floor and the door to the facility was sliding open. 

“Shit,” Tony hissed, abandoning his cover and heading for the door, Wanda behind him. They darted inside just as the door shut. 

Pietro was nowhere to be found, but three more guards lay on the floor at varying distances down the corridor like a strange trail of breadcrumbs. 

“He's a bit impatient,” Wanda said. She only sounded partly apologetic. 

“He's a bit of an ass,” Tony muttered, but it was a bit of a relief to not have to waste time fighting and potentially killing people. They made their way down the corridor, turned left at the first junction because one of the guards had been positioned at the corner, gun pointing in that direction. “Ass,” Tony repeated. He could've sworn he heard Wanda snicker. 

“Jarvis,” he murmured, “any differences to the plans I downloaded?” 

“No, sir,” Jarvis answered. “However, I am detecting an unusual amount of energy in the subterranean levels of the facility. The deepest floor seems to be the source.” 

“Thanks,” Tony said. “What kind of energy?” 

“It is familiar, sir,” Jarvis said. “I believe this is where you will find your prisoner.” 

“Can we not call him that?” Tony asked. He turned to Wanda. “There isn't a chance that Pietro already figured out where Loki is, is there?” 

“Only if he's managed to search the whole facility without running into trouble,” Wanda said. 

“You remember the plans?” 

“Yes.” Wanda swallowed. “Where do we need to go?” 

“The deepest level,” Tony said. He took her arm. “Consider this a practice run.” 

Wanda nodded and closed her eyes. The air around them shimmered with red energy, and then Tony felt something deep inside him pull, and shift, and everything around him swirled like oil in water, and then refocused into something that looked a lot like a really large, really clinical lab. 

He turned to Wanda, who looked shocked. “It worked,” she said. 

“Of course it did,” Tony said. There was a crash to their right, and a blur rushed past Tony twice before resolving itself into Pietro, looking windswept and agitated. He dropped an armful of guns onto the floor. 

“What is going on?” he demanded. 

“Oh look, you brought him too,” Tony said. 

“I was testing Tony's theory in order to get us here faster,” Wanda said. 

“She manipulated the probability of us being up there versus being down here at this moment in time,” Tony said. “Pretty neat trick. You can do a lot with probability magic if you think about things in the right way. Anyway, stand guard while we search.” 

“Fine,” Pietro said. He still looked irritated. Being snatched from one part of a place and dropped in another probably had that sort of effect on him. 

Tony and Wanda moved in the opposite direction. There were curtains surrounding certain areas of the lab, cutting them off, and strange machinery everywhere that Tony couldn't even begin to name, probably because they were outside his field and also highly unethical. 

“Where are all the personnel?” Wanda asked. 

“Pietro probably dispatched them when you blinked,” Tony said. Much as Pietro irritated him (because he was usually the fastest one in the room in more ways than one and having someone faster around annoyed him) he was still very useful. 

It was as they were reaching the edge of the floor when Tony roughly pulled back the curtain marking another sectioned-off portion of the lab and revealed what they were looking for. 

Loki was strapped to a metal surface, naked and bruised and starved. Wires were attached to his body, some stuck to the surface of his skin, others, Tony noted with rising nausea, burrowing under it. They were clustered around his torso and his head. 

Tony edged up to the side of the bed, one of his hands hovering over the network of wires. He had the feeling that just pulling them all out at once would be a terrible idea, but he didn't have another plan. It would take too long. 

His eyes followed the wires to their source, various whirring machines that he couldn't exactly figure out. They didn't look medical. 

“Loki,” Wanda said, her voice soft. She reached out to touch his arm, and that was when Loki gasped, back arching off the table. 

His eyes were wide, and they were glowing green. 

“Shit,” Tony whispered. 

Loki sounded like he was choking. Tony grasped one of the wires and his suit locked up, energy surging through the circuits and, for a moment, rendering him unable to move. And then it was over, and Tony pulled, and the wire slid out from underneath Loki's skin covered in blood and Tony tossed it aside. 

“It's power,” Wanda said, her face too pale. “They've done something to his power.” 

“Trying to augment it,” Tony said, grasping a handful of wires and letting the power surge through his suit again. Jarvis issued a complaint about circuits frying, but it didn't matter. It wasn't like the suit was going to get them out. He tossed these aside as well and grabbed the next bunch. “Most likely with detrimental side effects.”

A shot rang out, and Wanda cried out. At first Tony thought she'd been shot, but then she shouted, “Pietro!” 

There were so many wires, and Tony's skin was starting to tingle. He hated the pause between power surging through his suit and actually being able to pull them out. Wanda started to move, but he shouted, “Stay here” at her. He needed her near Loki. 

Loki jerked every time a group of wires were pulled from his body, but Tony wasn't letting himself pay attention to that. He just had to get them out so they could go. 

More shots echoed through the lab, and there was shouting. 

Tony yanked the last of the wires free. He grabbed a few pieces of metal attached to his arm and scattered them on the floor. They were the bombs set to go off in a few minutes. 

“Wanda,” he shouted, turning to her. “Get us out of here. We need to be in Stark Tower. Now!” 

Wanda closed her eyes and the red energy consumed them all.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony kept his eyes closed this time. 

“Oh,” he heard Wanda say. 

He opened his eyes to find himself, Wanda, Loki, and Pietro huddled on the floor of his workshop. Which wasn't the best place in the Tower but at least they were in the Tower. 

“Jarvis,” he said, “prep one of the med rooms and call Bruce. I need him immediately. Tell him we have a...” He paused, unsure of what, exactly, Loki's condition was. Right now he just looked unconscious, and strange markings lined his torso, like burns. “Experiment victim.” 

He scanned the others. Wanda looked exhausted and worried as she murmured something to Pietro, who was slumped against her. He listened harder; she was saying, “Let me see.” 

“You're worrying over a small thing,” Pietro said. 

“What happened?” Tony asked. 

“I got shot,” Pietro said, “and Wanda's worried.” 

“At least someone's worried about you,” Tony said. “Where?” 

“Stomach.” 

“Show me,” Wanda insisted. 

Pietro sat up, wincing. There was blood on his shirt, and he lifted the soaked fabric to reveal the wound. 

“I'll have my bots clean you up,” Tony said. 

“Robots?” Pietro asked, eyes wide. 

“Yeah,” Tony said. “Don't worry, they can take apart highly sensitive explosive devices. I'm sure they can take that bullet out of you.” 

“What?” Pietro cried. 

“Come on,” Wanda said, putting an arm around him and helping him up. Blood dripped onto the floor. He groaned. She ignored him. “Let's get you into one of the medical rooms.” 

Together, they limped out of the room. 

Tony looked at Loki lying on the floor. “I hope you're not heavy,” he said. 

Loki wasn't. He was disturbingly light. 

**

Bruce took half an hour to examine Loki, and when Tony was allowed back in the room he'd already set him up with IV fluids and an oxygen mask. 

“His breathing was weak,” he explained. “As for the rest—the marks look like burn wounds but don't behave like them. They seem like they've already scarred over. He's suffering from malnutrition and a few healed-over broken bones. Recently healed over, but also recently broken, which is weird.” 

“Magic,” Tony said, frowning at Loki's form, hidden underneath several blankets. 

“There's no reason why he shouldn't wake up soon,” Bruce added. “I didn't give him any pain killers because I don't know that he's in pain. There's quite a few things I'd like to do that depend on what he has to tell me when he wakes up.” His medical duties done, he asked, “So his mutation is magic?” 

“Yeah,” Tony said. He frowned. “You don't know who he is?” 

“I do,” Bruce said, “but I never thought about what his power was. Who experimented on him?” 

“Organization called Hydra,” Tony said. “They hate mutants, apparently. We didn't find any others, but that wasn't their only facility. Just their biggest. The one that had him.” 

“Well, you can't say he's not interesting,” Bruce said. “It's a shame he was made to hate his own kind.” 

“Yeah.” Tony suddenly felt his exhaustion turn heavy. 

Bruce noticed as well. “You should sleep. I'm sure Loki'll survive without you.”

That was true. Loki probably wouldn't care either way, as long as someone was there to explain that no, he wasn't in a Hydra facility anymore. 

“Go,” Bruce prompted. 

Tony realized he was still staring at Loki, lying in that bed, his thoughts trying to sluggishly make sense out of everything that he wanted and everything that Hydra had done and who Loki was and what the next steps were. But he couldn't seem to get past just staring. 

He forced himself to go back to his room, to fall on his bed, to close his eyes. Sleep wasn't far behind. 

**

In the dead of night, Loki woke up screaming. 

Bruce had to calm him down and tell him where he was multiple times, repeating the words slowly over and over, before Loki stopped screaming and stared at him. 

Bruce asked a few basic questions to gauge Loki's condition. Loki seemed unable to focus, and after a few moments Bruce felt awkward. Especially when Loki rasped, “Who are you?” 

“Bruce Banner,” Bruce said. “I work for Tony Stark.” 

“Stark,” Loki repeated. 

“Yes. I told you that you're back in his tower,” Bruce said. 

“Prove it,” Loki said. 

Bruce wasn't sure how, for a moment. Then he remembered the one thing Tony had that no one else did. “Jarvis,” he said, “please tell Tony to wake up and get over here.” 

“Right away, sir,” Jarvis said. 

Loki glanced at the ceiling and then back at Bruce. “What do you do for him?” he said. 

“Medical research,” Bruce said. 

Loki swallowed. “On mutants.” 

“On the problems that affect our kind,” Bruce said. “Everything we do here is meant to help.” 

Loki looked down at his hands, turning them over. Then he looked back up at Bruce. “Do you consider yourself a monster?” 

“No,” Bruce said, grimacing. “I used to, when I couldn't control my power. But now I've accepted who I am.” 

Tony burst into the room, looking still half-asleep. He saw Bruce and Loki and moved to sit on the edge of Loki's bed. Loki drew his knees up in order to avoid Tony touching him. 

Tony frowned. “I don't have germs.” 

“Everyone has germs,” Bruce pointed out. 

“Shut up,” Tony said. “Anyway, do you know what happened to you?” 

Loki looked between Bruce and Tony. “I was your prisoner,” he said to Tony. “Then we went to find two mutants. There was an explosion. I was captured and taken prisoner by Hydra.” 

“They were harvesting your magic,” Tony said. 

“They wanted to make me a weapon,” Loki said, still toneless. “Clearly, you found me and brought me back here to continue to serve your purposes.” 

“No,” Tony said, waving his hands in the air. “No, no. I don't want that. Hydra wanted that. Hydra is the worst human organization in the world and I'm sorry they tried to use you. I want you to make a choice. I can help you. Or I can let you go and the others'll just kill you later if you keep up the assassin shit.”

“How can you help me?” Loki asked. 

“I rescued you, for one,” Tony said. “You could work with me. I wouldn't experiment on you. We could help each other.” 

“He helped me,” Bruce said softly. 

Loki had the look of a cornered cat. “That can't possibly be true. You'll only help me as long as I'm useful, and then--”

“Stop,” Tony said. “Because you're about to spew a lot of bullshit. Let's make this simple. What do you want?” 

Loki's jaw clenched. 

“It's not a hard question,” Tony prompted. 

“Give me time,” Loki snapped. “I will tell you when I am ready.” 

Tony nodded. “Fair enough,” he said, pushing himself off the bed. “Now, it's like 3am. I'm ready to go back to sleep if you are.” 

**

Over the next two days, Loki continued to recover. Or, he was resting well and getting more nutrients and Bruce wasn't worried so much about his physical health. But he had nightmares, and at one point he had a flashback while Bruce was trying to take blood and nearly stabbed him with the needle. 

“I suggest counseling,” Bruce said. 

“The only one I know is Xavier,” Tony said, “and I don't think Loki wants to be anywhere near him.” 

On the second day after Loki's return, a call came through from SHIELD. 

SHIELD was a human organization tasked with protecting the world from extraordinary threats. They were based in the US, but functioned in many different countries. And they'd been watching Tony because of his tech. 

Tony knew that. SHIELD watched all potential threats. And most mutants were considered just that. A well-known mutant was even worse. A powerful well-known mutant, well...

Tony ignored the call. He didn't want to deal with SHIELD at the moment. He was still trying to figure out how to handle Loki. 

Loki didn't trust anyone, that much was clear. He hated mutants, but now he had cause to hate humans as well, which was an extremely delicate place to be in. On one hand, it worked to Tony's advantage that Hydra had done what they'd done. On the other hand, Tony felt like he was a bad person for even thinking that. 

But on the other hand, if Tony had three hands, wouldn't it be nice if Loki stopped killing mutants and started working with them? 

And then there was Thor. He had to talk to Thor about Loki. First he had to talk to Loki about Thor. 

He wished Xavier had never dumped Loki on him in the first place 

But Loki's powers were fascinating. And Loki was an ass. But Tony knew enough assholes to know that they weren't impossible to deal with. 

“Sir,” Jarvis interrupted his thoughts, “Nick Fury is waiting in the lobby.” 

“Shit,” Tony hissed, putting down the Stark phone he'd been fiddling with. “Send him to the top floor. Tell him to pour himself a drink. I'll be up in a bit.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Tony went to his room to clean up and get changed; he'd been spending a lot of time in the workshop to think. He hadn't actually talked to Loki since he woke up, thinking that he'd want space to think. It made sense in his head, anyway. 

Looking like the most influential man in the world that he was, Tony stepped out of the elevator on the top floor and sauntered towards the bar, where Nick Fury was standing, long leather jacket and all, regarding him warily. 

“Nick!” Tony cried. “How good to see you! To what do I owe this pleasure?” 

“I've noticed something that concerns us,” Fury said. His one eye narrowed, and Tony tried not to feel the intensity of his stare. But it was hard. “You've been recruiting.” 

“What?” Tony laughed. “You mean the twins?” 

“The twins,” Fury said, “Loki--”

“Loki's a murderer,” Tony said. “He'd probably make a good SHIELD agent if he wasn't one of us.” 

“Banner,” Fury continued, “and I'd like to know why.” 

“I'm not recruiting them,” Tony said. “They all just happened to end up here. I'm helping them, because that's a thing people do.” 

“All of them have dangerous powers,” Fury said.

“Your point?” Tony asked. 

Fury took a step forward. “I have a proposition for you, Stark.” 

“You can't buy my tech,” Tony said, “and you certainly can't buy me.” 

“We want to work with you,” Fury said. “Cut down on threats to both humans and mutants. And in exchange, you don't attack humans and you don't attack SHIELD.” 

“I don't?” Tony's brow furrowed. “Why would I--?”

“Not you as an individual,” Fury said. “You as a group. Even Loki. We would give the others a salary.” 

“I can give them that,” Tony said. “Why would we do that? It's not like you can just neutralize us. You don't have the tech, and you don't have the power. And I don't need the money.” 

“Because your brand of vigilante heroism is getting old,” Fury said. “You can't fly around in a suit and call yourself a hero. If you pick and choose who you help, you can't call yourself a hero. We offer a way to help people, and we're offering you protection and a community you can work with.” 

“I don't work with others,” Tony said. 

“The mutant community is divided,” Fury said. “Surely Loki is enough proof of that, but there are others. Xavier and Lehnsherr have been at odds since they began finding young mutants to influence.” 

“But the humans are united,” Tony said. “Is that what you're getting at? Is SHIELD in league with the Hydra agents that took Loki and experimented on him?” 

Fury's expression hardened. “SHIELD wants peace,” he said. “We're not talking about humans vs mutants. This is beyond that. SHIELD aims to bridge the gap.” 

Tony folded his arms over his chest. “It's not that simple. A lot of us don't trust humans. And they don't trust us. Would your team include humans, since you say this is about more than what divides us?” 

“Yes,” Fury said. “Think about this, Stark. I know you want to help people to make up for--”

“You don't get to talk to me about why I want to do what I do,” Tony snapped. “Send me the information on the humans you'd put on the team.” He turned to leave and then paused. “This isn't yes,” he added. “This is, I'm too nice to just kick you out of my tower.” 

“Right, Stark,” Fury muttered. 

Tony didn't turn around until the elevator doors slid closed behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

“He wants us to join a team,” Tony said from his position of being slumped in one of the chairs beside Loki's bed. Loki was off taking a shower, and Bruce was standing beside his bed, preparing a tray of food for when he got back. “I don't trust him.” 

“If it's a team,” Bruce said, “it's not just your choice.”

“I'm not gonna say yes,” Tony said. 

“No.” Bruce adjusted his glasses. “You can't just refuse for everyone. What if the others want to join a team like that? What if they want to help bridge this gap, and make the world safer for everyone?”

“Very few mutants want that,” Tony pointed out. 

“It would be nice,” Bruce said, looking down at the banana on Loki's tray. 

Tony stared at him, mind whirring to life. “You want the team to be a thing?” 

“I've done a lot of bad things,” Bruce said, shrugging, “because of my power. Not even because I wanted to, but because I lost control. I can never make up for that. But I want to help. I could've used it back then.” 

Tony swallowed. All of that made sense. He'd made weapons, and killed a lot of people, and he wanted to make up for that too. “This can't be the best way.” 

“Maybe not,” Bruce said, “but it's a chance. And we're not bound to SHIELD. You have more leverage than them.” 

“But if we join them, we might lose that,” Tony pointed out. “Their agents'll find out our weaknesses and then what?” 

“I know what I want,” said a voice from the door. 

Tony and Bruce turned around. Loki was leaning against the door, face pinched in what looked like pain. 

“You want to join them,” Tony said. “Predictable, given how much you hate humans.”

“Hydra has taught me much,” Loki said. “Those humans would experiment on me. Strip me down to nothing in the name of safety. My own father and brother would kill me if it meant the humans could live another day.” 

Tony glanced at Bruce, who shrugged. He looked back at Loki. “Okay. So you've changed your mind.” 

“If you join SHIELD, I will leave,” Loki said, “and I won't consider your offer.” 

“But you also won't kill mutants?” Tony asked. “Given that you now can't trust humans?”

“I didn't say that,” Loki said. 

Tony sighed. “So what do you want to do?” 

“I,” growled Loki, baring his teeth, “want to watch the humans burn.” 

“That's a bit much,” Tony said. “Are you always this extreme? Or is it just because you don't know what you want, and you never have.” 

“Be careful, Stark,” Loki said, raising a hand. “I have my powers now.” 

“But you don't have your energy,” Tony said. “Not yet, anyway. You're still recovering. You might hurt yourself.” 

“Is that not what you want?” Loki asked. “To destroy the humans? Eliminate those that would eliminate you?” 

“I'm all for peace and co-existence,” Tony said. “Not whatever it is you're trying to do. God, you're just like Magneto. Anyway, maybe I can tell you that things aren't as black-and-white as you've been raised to believe.” 

“I haven't been raised—”

“Yes, you have,” Tony cut him off. “Your father told you that humans are good and mutants are bad and you've thought about things in those terms your whole life. The humans turn on you, and you label them as complete monsters. But, like I said, I might have some information that might change your mind.”

But Loki's mind was still on SHIELD. “You're going to let them use you.” 

“No,” Tony said. “I haven't decided. But this is about you. I promised Xavier I was going to help you--”

“You got what you wanted,” Loki snapped. “Hydra made me hate the humans enough to be willing to work with the mutants, but not if they're going to allow themselves to be made the humans' lapdogs.” 

“That...isn't what I wanted,” Tony said. He looked to Bruce for help, but Bruce stared back at him, equally at a loss. “I mean, I wanted you to see that mutants aren't monsters, but not hate humans. I definitely didn't want you to get tortured.” 

“Mutants are not monsters,” Loki said, pushing himself off the doorframe. “I know now what my father meant.” He turned to leave, and Tony saw his chance slipping away from him. 

“Your brother's here,” he called out, “working for me.” 

Loki went still for a moment. 

“Thor,” Tony said. “He left Odin's company after you left. He realized that Odin was wrong this whole time, and now he works for us. There are good humans and bad humans. There's good mutants and bad mutants. We just want to help people, and arguably, that's what SHIELD wants too. A human-mutant team might be the way to start forging that peace.” 

Loki turned, slightly. His face was still partially hidden. “Thor is here,” he said. 

“Yeah.” 

Loki seemed to think for a moment, and Tony believed he would say something. But instead he walked out, disappearing around the corner. 

“That went well,” Bruce said. 

“This is his room,” Tony pointed out. “We're the one's who're supposed to leave.” 

“Oh.” 

Tony groaned and followed Loki out the door. He wasn't in the hallway, but Tony had a feeling he knew where Loki might have gone. It was a room that was relatively nearby. The library. 

Tony's parents had collected all sorts of books, mostly science texts. Tony himself didn't spend much time in here because he had everything on his computers, but it was a comforting room. The chairs were plush and huge, and when Tony opened the door he saw Loki sitting in one of them, his head resting in his arms as he leaned over one of the armrests. Quietly, Tony closed the door behind him and sat in the chair opposite. 

“Hey,” he said, and immediately regretted it when Loki lifted his head and glared at him. But he couldn't think of anything better to say. “Look, I...do you want to talk to Thor?” 

“Why would Thor come work for you?” Loki asked. 

“To send you a message,” Tony said. “That he doesn't think mutants are monsters. That he cares about you. That he wants to make things better.” 

“I had to hide my abilities from him,” Loki snapped. “The things he would say--”

“He's making an effort,” Tony pointed out. 

“It doesn't matter,” Loki said. “I know now what Odin meant, and Thor is not here because of me.” 

“What?” Tony leaned forward. “Of course he is! He's here to show you that he doesn't think mutants--”

“I know now that mutants are not monsters,” Loki said. “I am the monster Odin was talking about, the one that Thor was meant to hate.” 

Tony's jaw dropped. “What!”

“My powers were unnatural,” Loki said. “I was a strange child, and when my powers emerged I became even more of an anomaly. I was a weapon, and Odin couldn't have that. I wasn't the kind of weapon that would bend to his words, that he would find useful. I was dangerous. A monster.” 

“I---I don't even know how to respond to that,” Tony said. “You need to talk to someone. Like your brother--”

“Thor is not my brother,” Loki snarled. “I have no family.” 

“Then who do you have?” Tony asked, frustration making his words more forceful. “Because from where I'm standing, you don't trust anyone, which means you don't have anyone. You can't push everyone away.” 

“Who would have me?” Loki asked. 

“I would!” Tony snapped, and then backtracked. “Working with me, I mean. Thor would have you as his brother. What are you even talking about?”

“You don't--”

“Stop making excuses,” Tony said. “Pick a side and let people help you.” 

“I don't need advice from you,” Loki hissed, pushing himself up and out of the chair. Tony grabbed his wrist before he could leave the room and held it fast. 

“If you hadn't been sent to me by Xavier, no one would've been able to rescue you from Hydra,” Tony said, quietly. “And they would've captured you. They were tracking you. My point is, you need someone. This world isn't kind to mutants.”

“Xavier sent me to you,” Loki said, “because he didn't want to deal with me himself. You certainly don't want me here; you're doing it for him. The only people who wanted me were Hydra, and they wanted to use my mutation, to make me into even more of a monster than I already am.” 

“No, that's not--” A sharp pain in Tony's hand caused him to cry out, but he still held fast to Loki's arm. Loki's face had turned too pale, and the scars there flashed briefly with green energy. He winced, but the pain kept burning Tony's hand. “Stop that!” 

“Let me go!” Loki snarled through gritted teeth. 

“It hurts you,” Tony realized. “There's still lasting effects on your abilities. Using it hurts—ow!” A particularly sharp pain made his hand spasm, just for a second, but it was enough for Loki to escape his grip and run out the door. 

“Shit,” Tony muttered, cradling his hand. “Shit. Jarvis, is Thor in the building?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“I'd like a word.” 

**

Thor sat in Tony's office, which hadn't been as well-used at it should've been in the previous few weeks. He looked concerned, like he thought Tony was about to admonish him for something. 

Tony sat down across from him and said, “I have some news for you. And when you hear it, I need you to keep calm and allow me to explain.” 

“Tell me,” Thor said. 

“Your brother, Loki, is here,” Tony said. 

“What?” Thor stood up, but Tony motioned for him to sit back down. Remembering himself, he did and said, “I am sorry. It's just...it's been so long. How?” 

Tony explained everything, from Xavier's request to the conversation he'd had with Loki a few minutes earlier. Truth be told, telling Thor wasn't purely altruistic; he hoped Thor had a way to talk to Loki, to make him see reason. To make him see that maybe joining SHIELD was a good decision for him. And that sharing his powers wasn't necessarily a bad thing. 

And to trust. Tony wasn't sure why he wanted Loki to trust him so much. Technically, it wasn't a requirement to trust the people you worked with. But if Loki opened up...well, Tony always liked solving a problem. And Loki definitely posed one. 

But he also felt a pang of...something else. Looking at Thor, he realized what it was. And that in his straight-forward description of events, he'd neglected to mention the one thing Loki had said that disturbed him most. 

“Loki thinks he's a monster,” Tony said. “Not that mutants are monsters. Not anymore. Now he's convinced that it's just him, and that Odin just meant him. And that you think...well, yeah.” 

“That is not true,” Thor said. “Loki has always been...sensitive. Perhaps he is not in the right mind?” 

“I don't think so,” Tony said. “I don't think he has been for awhile.” 

“I can't say I can help him,” Thor said. “I would like to see him. I know you said he did not believe what you told him about me, but perhaps...” 

“Perhaps after he calms down,” Tony said. “I have time. I can help him get to the point where seeing you won't be too much.” 

“But does he not trust you as well?” Thor asked. 

Tony shrugged. “He hardly knows me. He knows you, but you've been brought up by Odin, so I think I have the advantage. And I'm a mutant. So I understand things about being a mutant, and let's face it, Loki hasn't been around people who understand him.”

Thor inclined his head. “Very well. I trust you. But I would like to see my brother soon.” 

“I know,” Tony said, standing up. Thor stood as well. 

“I wish you luck,” Thor said. “And please, don't hurt him.” With that, he left. 

Tony brushed his fingertips against the surface of his desk. Had he just volunteered to continue to help Loki, and to integrate him into society? Wasn't that Xavier's job?

He wished he actually knew what he was doing.

**

“You're looking at that wrong.” Loki's voice pulled Tony out of his thoughts, and he looked up from the microscope where he'd been examining energy taken from Wanda's magic. Loki had come to sit next to him. He still looked slightly ill, and his scars hadn't faded, but he was leaning forward with what looked like interest. 

“How so?” Tony asked. “I'm measuring the radiation and trying to see how it generates energy.” 

“It doesn't,” Loki said, moving his chair closer. “Wanda and I may not have the same type of magic, but the energy of our abilities works in much the same way.” 

Tony grabbed a tablet and a tablet pen from the table and opened the application he used to make notes. “Go on.” 

Loki raised an eyebrow. “Aren't you a genius?” 

“Yeah,” Tony said, “but I'm not a magic user.” 

“Our bodies have the ability to sense and use energy from our environment,” Loki said. “We draw in the energy, and then bend it to our will in whatever way we can and then release it in the form of a certain spell. We have to know how our magic is working on the environment, and our bodies have to have the ability to process the energy in a certain way, which takes up energy itself, but much less so then, say, generating all of our magic energy from within our own bodies.” 

Tony nodded, scribbling down Loki's words. When he was done, he looked up. “How do you know this, anyway? You're not a scientist.” 

“I am educated,” Loki said. “I've learned both human and mutant biology and in the years since I've...left my family, I've experimented with my powers. And some things, you can feel. It's...innate, I suppose.” 

“Okay,” Tony said. “So if that's true, then how did the cuffs work? I was working off the idea that you released your own energy. Wait...they prevented you from taking in enough energy for most spells, and you couldn't release what you had anyway. Right?” 

Loki nodded. “A fortunate accident for you.” 

“Seriously,” Tony muttered. “Why are you telling me this?” 

“Why not?” Loki asked. “You can't reproduce magic. In order to do that, you'd need to know how to unlock the gene. And you're no geneticist. Even though you may have our DNA, you don't have the ability to analyze it. Very few would.” 

“Can you?” Tony asked. He was already surprised at how much Loki knew, especially about how Tony's tech against magic worked. He was smart, and that was a point in his favor. 

Loki shook his head, and Tony had suspected as much. “It is information that satisfies your curiosity and nothing more.” 

“What if I wanted to know the extent of your powers?” Tony asked, because he really did. 

“It would cost,” Loki said. “Why should I allow you that knowledge?”

“To expand the knowledge we have about mutants,” Tony said. “I could measure what spells you can do and--”

“--and use that knowledge against me,” Loki snapped. “Or you could decide that I'm too powerful, and kill me. Or just powerful enough to be turned into a weapon.” 

“Whoa,” Tony said, putting his hands up. “Not at all. I'm a scientist. I like to learn. And I've already analyzed my own abilities to death. I'm still figuring out the parameters, but with Jarvis and the Iron Man suit, I'm pretty sure I've figured out the extent of what I can do. They're both things that no one else has been able to accomplish, and they've tried. A lot of people have tried to take my tech and use it against me, and they haven't been able to get it quite right. And then I've dealt with them. The point is, I don't like to be used, so I'm not gonna use the people I work with. I just want to learn.” 

Loki's eyes bore into Tony's, searching. After a moment he nodded. “Perhaps you're right. But are your findings safe? Others know of the work you do, and of its value.” 

“Safer than anything,” Tony said. “Not 100%, but pretty damn close, and you wouldn't find better protected data elsewhere.” 

Loki's eyes moved from Tony to the equipment around the lab. “Your machines are impressive. And Jarvis is unlike anything I've ever seen.” 

“Jarvis is my greatest achievement,” Tony said, grinning. 

“That is very kind, sir,” Jarvis said. 

“He certainly is intelligent,” Loki said. His gaze returned to Tony. 

“It hurts to do your magic,” Tony said. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“When you did it to get me to let go in the library,” Tony said, “the scars on your face and, I'm assuming, on the rest of your body reacted. They look healed but they're not. They still affect you.” 

“It's where the magic has burrowed itself into my body, paths worn down from overuse,” Loki said with a shrug. “From the wires that directed it into those paths.”

“Can I see?” Immediately after he asked, Tony felt like he shouldn't have. Loki raised an eyebrow at him, and for a moment Tony felt like he'd leave. He was skittish, like a new cat, and Tony had been too forward. 

But instead Loki lifted his shirt over his head, revealing his chest, criss-crossed with these linear scars that seemed almost like deliberate markings. On either side, five followed the lines of Loki's ribs, sweeping back and away from his stomach. 

With an awkward gesture, Tony asked, “Can you...?” Loki understood and, after a moment's hesitation, rose from his chair so that Tony could get a better view of his back. The lines continued there, paths leading straight to Loki's spine. 

Moving back around, Tony noticed that more lines followed the contours of Loki's collar bones, and the scars on his face stayed around the edges except for two that outlined his cheekbones. Slowly, he reached out to take one of Loki's hands and maneuvered his arm so that it was fully extended. The scars there followed the lines of his veins, and Tony had a feeling they would do the same on Loki's legs. He also had a feeling that Loki wouldn't allow him to see those particular ones. 

“Magic has costs,” Loki said, breaking into Tony's concentration. “Had Hydra been able to weaponize me, I would have died soon after. Or perhaps not. Perhaps my magic would have altered my body to withstand its affects. It was a dangerous gamble for them to take, but then again, they weren't gambling with anything of worth.” 

“Your life isn't worthless,” Tony said, dropping Loki's hand. He was forced to look up because Loki was taller than him. “Maybe I can get rid of these.” 

“I've tried,” Loki said. “My magic can't erase them. They're deeper than what they appear. Part of me. Marking me visibly as what I am.” 

“Do you want them gone?” Tony asked. 

Loki gave him a blank look and then turned away, and started pacing the length of the room. “You were right,” he said as he moved, taking in the whole of the lab. “I don't know what I want, and I don't trust people easily. You're in the unique position of having influence over me. I'm sure you're well aware that you have me at a sensitive time in my life.” 

“It's not like that,” Tony said, eyes following Loki around the room. The movement made him uneasy. 

“I'm willing to give you a chance,” Loki said, “but in order for that to happen you must not join SHIELD. You cannot let yourself be used by them.” 

“I have to talk to the rest of the team,” Tony said. 

Loki strode towards Tony and stopped so that they were standing very, very close. “I would be part of that team,” he said. “You don't care how I feel?” 

“I do,” Tony said, caught by Loki's eyes. They were a rather stunning shade of blue-green. “But the thing about a team is that there's more than one person. So, going by that logic, every member of the team has a--”

“Shut up,” Loki muttered, and pressed his lips into Tony's. 

Tony yelped into Loki's mouth, which was pretty undignified, and pushed away. “Is that alcohol?” he gasped. He could taste it on his lips, and he hadn't (for once) been drinking. Loki merely tilted his head slightly to one side. “Shit. I can't do this.”

He didn't have anything against relationships. Or kissing. It'd been awhile since he'd been in one, with Pepper, who'd left him (and the company) after deciding that Tony wasn't good for her, emotionally speaking. They still talked, and Tony didn't blame her. He wasn't exactly the healthiest person to be around. 

So the past few years involved a lot of flings, but not with anyone at Stark Industries. And not with anyone who'd been sent to him. Tony made a lot of bad decisions, but with mutant kind in such a delicate place and so many people looking to him, he'd become a little bit more careful. There were still slip-ups, but nothing horrible. 

Loki would qualify as a huge slip-up. He himself had said that he was vulnerable, and he was supposed to be part of the team if he chose to be. And not too long ago he would've killed Tony and everyone he cared about. 

“I've heard you enjoy the pleasures of the body,” Loki said. 

“You're drunk,” Tony said. “No wonder you've been so open. Shit, Loki, I can't. Where'd you even get—you know what? I don't want to know. Can you just, I don't know--”

“Calm down,” Loki said, placing his hands on Tony's shoulders. “The alcohol is merely a method to keep my thoughts from becoming overwhelming while in the lab. I have some unpleasant memories of machines that look fairly similar.” 

“We need to get you to counseling,” Tony said. “Look, I'm flattered--”

Loki tried to kiss him again, and Tony nearly tripped over trying to move back. He saw the disappointment that flitted across Loki's features, briefly, and realized that Loki was very good looking, and intelligent, and that he actually wouldn't mind...

Shit, he thought. 

“I have to talk to the rest of the team,” he said, “before I can make any decisions. Also, you never told me what you wanted.” 

“I did,” Loki said, smirking. “Twice.” 

“You can't watch the humans burn,” Tony said. “That's not how that works. Maybe we can come to an agreement.” His brain ticked over a terrible idea. Maybe he could bring Loki to a...more moderate point of view. Maybe he could even convince Loki that SHIELD's idea was for the best. Maybe...

“What sort of agreement?” Loki asked. He looked suspicious. 

Tony moved forward, wrapped his arms around Loki, and kissed him hard. 

Loki staggered, but soon regained his footing and kissed back, one hand raking through Tony's hair, the other resting on the hollow of Tony's back. Loki was a good kisser, but Tony wasn't about to be undone. One of his hands slid lower, to Loki's crotch, causing Loki to sharply inhale. 

Tony broke free. “That kind of agreement.” 

Loki's cheeks were flushed, his hair messed up. He licked his lips. “I see.” 

“Think about it,” Tony said, and then he walked out of the room. 

He needed a long shower.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony looked into the mirror the next morning and sighed. He looked no different, but he felt different. He felt like what happened with Loki should've left a mark. 

He felt guilty. 

Loki was in the med room with Bruce, who was checking over his vitals and his injuries. Loki gave Tony one knowing look and Tony glared at him. So he remembered, even though he'd been drunk. 

Great. 

Tony sat in on the examination and watched as Bruce mapped out the hurts on Loki's body. The scars made him feel uncomfortable, but he stayed, and eventually Bruce left. 

“I like your method of negotiation,” Loki said with a smirk. 

Tony wanted to hurt him. “I could tell. But the more important thing...” 

“Is your team,” Loki said. “I know. You want what's best. You want me to agree.” 

“I care about you,” Tony said. 

“You care about my magic,” Loki said. “You were so happy when I opened up about how it worked. You're probably thinking of another way to get me drunk so I can reveal more.” 

“That's not true,” Tony said. 

“Then what was yesterday?” Loki asked. “Mmm?” 

“You started it.” 

“You allowed it.” 

“And now that you're sober,” Tony said, “would you do it again?” 

Loki grinned. “Would you?”

“The day that Tony Stark wouldn't,” Tony said, moving towards the bed where Loki was sitting, “is the day the world ends.” He took Loki by the shoulders and forced him down onto the bed. “So what's your answer?” 

Loki kissed him. Drew him in. And everything became a blur of pleasure. Tony's clothes somehow ended up on the floor. Loki ended up on top of him. And there was nothing but pleasure, and then coming down, lying next to Loki in the hospital bed (admittedly, not the weirdest place Tony had done it) gasping for air and wondering how, exactly, trying to talk to Loki turned into having sex with him. 

“Shit,” he muttered. Loki's chest vibrated with laughter, and Tony realized that his head was resting on Loki. Which was weird. Or should've been. He was too comfortable to move. 

“You're a pleasant distraction,” Loki murmured. 

“Uh, thanks?” Tony said. “I did want to talk to you about the team, though. You know, that important thing.” 

“You know how I feel,” Loki said. 

“I was hoping you'd changed your mind,” Tony said. 

“Unfortunately for you, no,” Loki said. “But this...this I would gladly continue.” 

“Until you fully recover,” Tony said, “and then what?” 

“That,” Loki said, “entirely depends on you.” 

That was what Tony was afraid of.

**

“May I remind you of an old proverb, sir?” Jarvis asked. 

Tony was sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands, thinking. “Sure, why not.” 

“'It is better to ask forgiveness than to get permission,'” Jarvis said. 

“You think I should join SHIELD,” Tony said. 

“It is what you want, sir,” Jarvis said. “You have a meeting scheduled with your potential team for tomorrow afternoon.” 

“Thanks,” Tony said. “I thought for a moment you were gonna give me some advice that wouldn't result in me getting killed.” 

“I believe Loki cares about you, sir,” Jarvis said. 

Tony scoffed. “He wants something.” 

“I believe you care about him,” Jarvis added. Tony didn't have anything to say to that. “You will do what you feel is best for him.” 

“That I will,” Tony muttered, drumming his fingers on the mattress. 

“Shall I inform the team of your intent to meet with them?” 

“Yeah.” Tony swallowed. “Not Loki. Just the rest of the team. Loki, I'll deal with separately.” 

“Very well, sir.” 

**

The team, Tony realized, was really small. They barely filled half the seats in the meeting room. Admittedly, Tony had big meeting rooms. But this was a smaller meeting room. 

And yet he still felt more awkward standing at the front of the room than he ever had standing in front of a full table of men and women in suits. Maybe because he had power over them, and with these people, he didn't. 

Pietro, now recovered from his injury, and Wanda were sitting next to each other, predictably., with Bruce on Wanda's other side. Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton were opposite, the human SHIELD agents. Clint looked openly suspicious of everyone and everything, while Natasha radiated calmness. But it was that calmness that Tony didn't trust. He knew she was assessing all of them, and probably doing a damn good job of it. 

“Hello,” Tony started, awkwardly. “So, this is it. SHIELD's team, tasked with helping both humans and mutants, if you want to be part of it. Fury thinks I have the ability to lead, and I kinda doubt him, but I know I have the resources to support a team like this. Anything you need, I can get. Training facilities, weapons, information, money. Alcohol.” Clint snorted. “I'm sure you all know what you're doing with your respective talents. I'm not sure how we're supposed to make this team thing work. But, this is the team, potentially. Yeah.” 

“I was told there was another member,” Natasha said. “Potentially.” 

It sounded like a casual question. It wasn't. “Right,” Tony said, snapping his fingers. “About that. Yeah, that person is not here right now because I decided that I need to talk to him separately. See, he's kind of...um...” 

“A murderer,” Pietro supplied. 

“He has issues,” Tony said. “First with mutants, now with humans. He's kind of a loose cannon.” 

“And you think the team will help him?” Natasha asked. 

“Um.” Well, yes, if Loki would actually agree to be on it. 

“Why would he be on a team with his enemies?” Natasha added. 

“Well, everyone's his enemy really,” Tony said, “so I figured it's about time he had some friends.” 

“He's an assassin,” Clint said. “Do you really expect us to trust him?” 

“I'm expected to trust you and you both lie for a living,” Tony countered. “And kill people. Need I remind you that none of us has a spotless record.” He didn't actually know if the twins had done anything that one could consider “bad,” but judging from the way they weren't protesting, they probably had some regrets. 

“Loki can make his own decisions in his own time,” Wanda said. “This meeting is about us making ours, isn't it?” 

“Yes.” Tony could've kissed her, but he didn't, because she probably would hex him in all sorts of terrible ways. And then Pietro would've killed him. “The question is, do you believe in this team? And do you want to be part of it?” 

Clint sighed, long-suffering. “I'm in,” he said. “I'm curious.” 

“Fair enough,” Tony said. 

“I'll bite,” Natasha said. “If only to make sure that he doesn't get in trouble.” 

“Hey!” Clint protested. Natasha smirked at him. 

“I'm in,” Bruce said. He'd been so quiet, but he was smiling slightly at Tony, which was a good sign.

“I'll join,” Wanda said. 

Pietro sighed, less long-suffering than Clint and more worried. “Why not?” he said. “But the moment this team starts being used against mutants by SHIELD, which I think is a very good possibility, I'm leaving. I owe you a lot, Stark, but not that much.” 

“Right.” Tony clapped his hands together. “Go team!” 

“You need to work on your leadership skills,” Clint said. 

“Fuck you,” Tony said. 

Clint grinned. “That's more like it.”


	8. Chapter 8

“If I die, can you please make sure that Pepper gets everything? Except my booze. Clint can have my booze.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Tony raised his hand and knocked on the door to the bedroom he'd given to Loki.

“Come in,” Loki said. 

Tony pushed open the door and found Loki sitting at the desk, writing in a notebook. He closed it as soon as Tony closed the door and turned around. 

“Hey,” Tony said. 

Loki stood up and crossed the room, reaching Tony and giving him only a second to process that Loki was touching him before he was drawn into an aggressive kiss. Loki bit down on his lip and Tony cried out. He could feel Loki grinning around his mouth and he pulled back, gasping. 

“Wha--”

“You seem nervous,” Loki said. “I can taste it.” 

“That's weird,” Tony said. 

“Why?” Loki asked. “Are you having second thoughts about harboring a criminal in your tower?” 

“Hardly,” Tony said. “My problem,” he spun Loki around so that his back was to the door, and then he stepped backwards, towards the bed, “is that despite my best intentions,” he lowered himself onto the sheets, pulling Loki on top of him, “I think I care about you.” 

“You think?” Loki was grinning, suspended above Tony, like a cat ready to pounce. “You don't know?” 

“I think I know,” Tony amended. 

Loki hummed. “I think,” he murmured, lowering himself until his lips brushed Tony's, “that I share that sentiment, despite my best intentions.” 

“Well,” said Tony, and then he couldn't say anything more, because Loki was distracting him with his lips and his hands and he was beginning to lose himself in a haze of pleasure. He was starting to lose track of what he'd meant to do, and that wasn't good, so he began to turn the tables, using Loki's own moves against him. Loki gasped and Tony grinned. 

“We could have this,” Loki said, breathless. “I would like this.” 

“Better than your old lifestyle, right?” Tony gasped. Loki just grinned, looking practically delirious with pleasure. 

It was now or never. 

“Which is why,” Tony said, trying to get the words out despite the fact that he was still gasping for air, “I am now leading a team of heroes for SHIELD.” 

Loki pushed himself up and away from Tony. His face, for a moment, betrayed his shock, but then it twisted into something much more dangerous. A cold sort of calm. 

“Tell me that again,” he said. 

Tony wanted nothing less than to say it again, but his mouth was moving anyway. “I accepted Fury's offer to lead a team of heroes for SHIELD in order to benefit both humans and mutants.” 

“So,” Loki said, still eerily calm, “you've decided to become Fury's lapdog.” 

“No,” Tony said. “I can refuse him. I have the money, the resources--”

“That's not the point,” Loki hissed, bringing his face close to Tony's. Tony wanted to move away but he was trapped, stuck staring at the fury in Loki's eyes. “He now has access to your resources, to your weapons, and to all those under your protection. With the snap of a finger SHIELD could bring you down and drink you dry, and you and your mutant friends would be left for dead.” 

“That's not true,” Tony said. “Fury is trying to make things better.” 

“Better?” Loki repeated. “Better for mutants is not in his interest. How many mutants occupy high-ranking positions in SHIELD? How many of them have influence?” 

The answer got stuck in Tony's throat. But he knew it. 

“None,” Loki said for him. “You would be the first, and one man is nothing against an army.” 

“I can handle him,” Tony said. “I can handle all of them.” 

“If you think they won't turn on you then you're a fool,” Loki said. “But that is neither here nor there.” 

“It isn't?” Tony asked, surprised. 

“Oh, no.” Loki brushed his lips against Tony's, but this time Tony felt just how cold they were and it sent a chill through him. “What concerns me is what we're doing here.” He moved delicately, and whispered in Tony's ear, “You thought that by winning my heart you could win my loyalty to SHIELD.” 

“Loki,” Tony tried. 

“I am not so easily used,” Loki snarled, slapping Tony across the face and then dragging him up by the shirt before the pain had fully subsided. He threw Tony against the wall and advanced on him. Tony scrambled to his feet, but Loki thrust out a hand and an invisible force kept Tony pinned against the wall. 

“Go ahead, kill me,” Tony gasped. “See if you can make it out of this tower alive.” 

“You promised protection,” Loki growled, “and yet you're handing us to our enemies.” 

“I'm trying to give you protection,” Tony snapped. “A human-mutant alliance. But your problem is that you see everyone as your enemy. You'd rather go it alone. You still don't trust most mutants, I bet, and now that Hydra got to you you'll never trust the humans again.”

Loki's eyes narrowed. “I trusted you. And you manipulated me—”

“You're one to talk,” Tony said. “You started flirting with me in the lab, and why? Because you wanted to influence me. You're no better than I am. In fact, you're worse because you murdered so many of us.” 

“And yet you took me into your home,” Loki sneered, “into your bed. You cared about me, even though I am a monster.” 

“You don't have to be a monster,” Tony said. 

“You will never see me as anything but,” Loki countered. “You talk of protection, and unity, but this is a failsafe for you. If SHIELD has to put me down, the blood would not be on your hands. Except it would. Because you handed me to them. You did not want me, so you'll pass me on.” 

“That...isn't--” 

Loki thrust his hand downwards, causing Tony to slam into the floor before he could finish his sentence. There was something wild in Loki's eyes, but also something hurt, and it alternatively scared Tony and made him feel sick. 

“Loki, please,” he said. 

“You have made me realize,” Loki said, looking away from him, “what I could not before. There is no side that will take me. The only person I can trust is myself, and the only side I will serve is my own. And it starts now.” 

“Loki, wait--”

Loki disappeared and Tony, released from his invisible hold, scrambled to his feet. “Jarvis, give me a location, please.” 

“I can't see him, sir,” Jarvis said. And then, “Sir, he seems to be on the fortieth floor in one of the offices.” 

“Shit.” Tony felt seconds away from hyperventilating. “Okay, Jarvis? I need at least the arm of my Iron Man suit, now. Weapons fully charged and online. And anyone else in the Tower—get them up there.” 

And then he ran. 

**

“It isn't your fault, but then again, nothing ever was.” 

Tony burst into the office to find Loki standing over a body. A second body was slumped on the other side of the room. Tony recognized the shock of white hair. “What did you do?” he shouted. 

“I paid my dear brother a visit like he wanted,” Loki said, “and I decided that I could no longer live in his shadow. Despite your pathetic attempt to stop me,” he gestured to Pietro's prone figure, “I cut him down so that I might see the sun.” 

“He's your brother,” Tony cried. 

“No,” Loki said, stepping over Thor's bloodied corpse. “He's not. I have no family, no team, no one. Did you not hear me before? I am on my own side, now.” 

“He wanted to help you,” Tony said. Loki was advancing but he couldn't step back. He didn't want to. 

“So did you,” Loki said, taking Tony's arm, the one covered in metal, from his Iron Man suit. He raised it and pressed the hand, with its repulser activated, to his chest. Then he reached back and pulled out a knife with his other hand, and pressed it to Tony's throat. “These are the only things left to us.” 

Before, Tony would've said that he didn't buy that. That there was always another choice. But Thor's blood was soaking into the carpet and he could smell it in the air. 

“You believe it, too,” Loki murmured. 

Tony tilted his chin up, looking Loki in the eye. What he saw there was someone broken and running. “Then kill me.” 

There was a moment where Tony believed he would. Then Loki opened his hand, allowing the knife to clatter to the floor. 

“We could have been so much,” Loki said. “I will miss you.” He leaned forward, kissed Tony, and Tony tasted copper. Blood. Electricity. He closed his eyes and wished that he could forget the past hour. When he opened them, Loki was gone. 

On the other side of the room, Pietro groaned and shifted. But Tony couldn't move. 

He could still taste blood on his lips. 

**

Natasha tossed a manila folder on top of the various bits of metal scattered on Tony's workshop table surface. 

“Hey!” he snapped. 

“You know more about chaos magic than anyone, even the scientists at SHIELD,” Natasha said. “We need that knowledge, now.” 

“Why?” Tony asked. He knew why. He could see it in her face. 

“Our next mission,” she said, gesturing to the folder. “He's been targeting and killing SHIELD agents around the world. He's threatening to take the whole organization down and everyone with it. He's powerful, and unstable, and those two aren't a good combination.” 

Tony opened the file. The first page had a picture of Loki's face. 

Natasha leaned over him. “Just answer me this: can you handle this mission, or are your feelings going to get in the way?” 

She knew about that. Of course she knew. Tony stared at Loki's face, at his cold expression, everything dead and emotionless except for his eyes. 

His eyes betrayed everything. 

Tony looked away. Those eyes would undo him if he kept staring. Instead he looked at Natasha, at her calm confidence, and underneath that, concern. He remembered the day after Thor's funeral, when she told him, “We've all done things we regret. Some of us have committed horrible crimes. But we chose to try and be better people. And we chose to trust ourselves. Had I decided differently,” and here she paused, “I would hope someone would take me out.” 

She wanted him to let go. To do what was right by everyone else. There was, really, only one thing left. 

“I can handle it.”


End file.
